BCCI to bid for World Cup independently: Mahendra

Chandigarh:Just days after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretray S K Nair had favoured a joint bid for the 2011 World Cup, its president Ranbir Singh Mahendra today said the Board was keen to hold the event independently.

"We will definitely bid for World Cup 2011. Our choice will be to go independently," Mahendra said in Chandigarh.

He, however, did not rule out the possibility of bidding for the event with any other Asian country.

"We are open to holding the Cup independently or jointly with other Asian cricket playing countries," he added.

Mahendra said the decision to bid for the World Cup was taken after the Central government decided to amend the Income Tax Act to give tax exemptions to sporting events in the country.

On the issue of ordinances brought in by state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh to regulate the sport federations, he said the Board was clear that it would not bow before any pressure.

Mahendra, however, said the Board was negotiating with these state governments on the proposed sports regulatory act.

"BCCI did not liked the way the governments are moving ahead on the sports regulatory act." He said if the act was implemented by these states, then the Board would stop extending facilities like allotment of matches, subsidies and assistance for infrastructure development to such associations.

Mahendra said BCCI was not in confrontation with any state government on the issue. He urged the governments to withdraw such ordinances in the interest of the game.

Mahendra also denied that the Board was coming up with its own channel for telecast of matches.

"The BCCI neither considers to have such a channel nor there is any such proposal before the Board," he said and added that he was not in favour of such a channel.

"The main objective of the Board is to go for cricket. Our purpose is not to get commercialised," the BCCI chief said.

He said the proposal to have a bowling coach to assist newly appointed coach Greg Chappell was under consideration.

"If the coach says he needs a bowling coach then BCCI will support him," he added.

When asked whether Chappell had also sought fielding and batting coaches as well, Mahendra said "I don't think he will make such a demand."

On the issue of alleged irregularities in the TV rights issue, he said "there is no confusion. The matter has been corrected by the apex court."